It is known to provide overhead support framing for hospital beds to assist in the treatment and movement of patients. Such framing is variously constructed and generally includes vertical, upright, support members suitably attached to the head and foot of the bed and interconnected by a horizontal member which extends the length of the bed in spaced relation above the mattress and the patient at a height to support various orthopedic equipment such as a hand trapeze, pulleys, weights and an interconnecting support line or cable.
It is also known to specifically provide an orthopedic traction apparatus for use with conventional, adjustable, hospital beds in which portions of the bed move to angularly position portions of the mattress and its supporting frame relative to other portions of the mattress and its supporting frame.
The conventional apparatuses for applying traction to a patient normally require the attendance of a suitably trained person such as a nurse, a nurse's aide or a physical therapist to apply and release the traction apparatus to and from the patient; thus the patient must be hospitalized on either an in-patient or out-patient basis to receive treatment which is extremely costly.
In view of the relatively high costs associated with conventional orthopedic traction apparatuses which require an attendant to apply and release traction to a patient, there is a need for a durable and inexpensive traction apparatus which permits the patient to easily get in and out of the traction without the help or assistance of another person such as a nurse, nurse aide, or a physical therapist.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive, and reliable traction apparatus which can be used in a conventional hospital bed either at home or in a hospital which does not require an attendant to apply or release traction to a patient.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a traction apparatus for use with conventional overhead framings and hospital beds which is adapted for independent operation by the patient to apply traction to and release traction from the patient.